Folding egg-crate.



No. 805,494. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

J. SMITH.

FOLDING EGG CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED Mme, 1905.

2 SHEETB-SHBIIT 1.

Human 4% cm W W No. 805,494. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

J. SMITH.

FOLDING EGG CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED mum, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.,

Witness UNITED STATES IlATENT OFF-ICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905 Application filed March 9, 1905. Serial No.249,240.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OB SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residingat Hope, in the county of Steele and State of North Dakota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Egg-Crates; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to collapsible crates particularly adapted forcontaining eggs; and the object of the invention is to provide a deviceof this character all of the parts of which are connected in such amanner as to be readily folded or collapsed into a compact bundle whichmay be conveniently stored, and therefore shipped at comparativelyslight cost.

Another object is to provide means for binding all of the parts firmlytogether after the crate has been set up or opened, thereby preventingaccidental displacement of any of said parts when the crate is in use asa receptacle.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of afolding member having end flanges of sufficient height to overlap theends of the sections of the crate when the same are collapsed or folded,and this holding member constitutes the cover of the crate when the sameis used as a receptacle. Hinged to one edge of the holding member is aside wall having the crate-base hinged to its opposite edge in such amanner as to be capable of swinging into a plane parallel with theholding member. This base-section is provided with aflange, alongoneedge of which is hinged the other wall of the crate, and the two endwalls of the crate are hinged to the end portions of the base-sectionand are adapted to swing into position at right angles thereto, so as tobe contacted by all four members of the orate-to wit, the holdingmember, the two side walls, and the base. The hinges are so constructedthat when the crate is collapsed one side wall rests upon the holdingmember and is contacted by the base, upon which the ends of the crateare folded. The other side wall rests upon these ends and securing meansare employed for locking the same to the end flanges of the holdingmember. The parts of' the crate are thus securely fastened in acollapsed position and occupy a minimum space.

The invention also consists in further novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the preferred form of myinvention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the crate setup for use as a receptacle for eggs or other articles. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical longitudinal section therethrough. Fig. 3 is a sectionon line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the cratecollapsed and secured in such position. Fig. 5 is a central verticallongitudinal section through the collapsed crate; and Fig. 6 is asection on line 6 6, Fig. 5.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is the top orholding member of the crate, and the same is provided at each end with aflange 2, said flanges being of such height as to overlap some of themembers of the crate when the same is folded. Connected to one edge ofthe member 1 are pins 3, which are connected by links 4 with one edge ofa member 5, constituting a side wall of the crate. This member may be ofany suitable proportions, but is necessarily of such length as to fitsnugly between flanges 2. It is provided at the edge thereof farthestremoved from the links 4 with pivot-pins 6, connected by means of links7 to one edge of the base member 8 of the crate. This base member is aslong as the wall 5 and has a flange 9 along one edge to .which is hingedthe other side wall 10 of the device. To the ends of the base member 8are hinged the end members 11 and 12 of the crate, and these are mountedin such a manner as to fold inwardly upon the base 8 and between it andthe side wall 10. The hooks 13 are secured to the end flanges 2 ofholding member 1 and are adapted when the crate is collapsed to engagestaples 14, which extend from the ends of side Wall 10, thereby holdingall parts of the crate securely bound in a collapsed position. Staples15 are also arranged on the outer faces of the end members 11 and 12andare adapted to be engaged by the hooks 13 when the crate is set up foruse as a receptacle. In order, however, that the side wall 10 may restfirmly upon these end members 11 and 12 when they are folded, as shownin Fig. 5, recesses 16 are formed in the inner face of the member 10 andthe staples 15 project into them. The two side walls 5 and 10 aregrooved transversely at the center thereof, as shown at 17, for thereception of a partition 18, adapted to be placed within the crate afterthe same has been set up. It will be understood that the side member isnot as high as the side member 5, but when it assumes a position uponthe flange 9 of base 8 it equals the member 5 in height. The endsections 11 and 12 are provided with passages 19, which extendtherethrough from side to side and are adapted to register withapertures 20 formed in the side walls. These passages and aperturesreceive rods 21 for holding the parts of the crate together when thesame has been set up.

When it is desired to unfold the parts of the crate to produce anegg-receptacle, the hooks 13 are disengaged from the staples let in theends of side wall 10 and said wall is swung upward upon flange 9, asshown in Fig. 6. The end members 11 and 12 are then swung outward upontheir hinges and will rest on the ends of the base member 8 and withtheir passages 19 registering with the openings 20 in the side wall 10.Thoholding member 1 is then swung away from the side wall 5, so as topermit said wall to be moved upon its hinges into position against thesides of the members 11 and 12, so that the openings 20 in said wall 5will register with the passages 19. This folding operation ispermissible in view of the peculiar construction of the hinges whichconnect the side wall 5 with the base member 8. The links 7 connectingsaid wall and base member are of sufficient size to permit the wall 5 toswing upward into the desired position. The links 1 are also of suchlength as to permit the holding member to assume a position upon theside walls and end members after all of the parts have been brought intothe positions above described. Said holding member therefore serves thefunction of a lid and its hooks 13 are brought into position where theycan engage the staples on the end members, as shown in Fig. 2.

As shown in Fig. 6, hooks 22 are located upon the outer face of the sidewall 10, and these hooks are adapted to engage staples 23, arrangedalong one edge of the holding member 1, thereby assisting the hooks 13in securely fastening the holding member in place. The rods 21 areadapted to be inserted through the openings and passages 19, so as tobind the side walls and end members firmly together. Each rod ispreferably provided with a head 2 at one end and a nut 25 for engagingits opposite end, which is screw-tlneaded. After the crate has been setup in the manner described the partition 18 can be placed within theslots 17. To collapse the crate, it is first necessary, of course, todisengage the hooks 13 and 22 from the parts engaged thereby. The sidewall 5 and the top or holding member 1 are then swung around under thebottom member 8, with the side member 5 between the parts 1 and 8 andthe flanges 2 overlapping the ends thereof. The end members 11 and 12are then swung inwardly upon the base 8, after which the side wall 10 isbrought into position thereover and secured by means of the hooks 13 andstaples 14:, as shown in Fig. 5.

It will be understood that the crate is very simple and inexpensive inconstruction and can be quickly folded into a compact bundle. Moreover,as all of the parts are permanently connected it is impossible forportions of the crate to become lost in transit.

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of myinvention; but I do not limit myself thereto, as I am aware thatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit orsacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the right tomake such changes as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A collapsible crate comprising a holding member, said memberconstituting the top of the crate, a side wall, slidably-connected hingemembers secured to the side wall and holding member whereby said sidewall is adapted to assume a position upon one face of the holding memberor at right angles to the opposite face thereof, a base-section,slidably-connected hinge members secured to the base-section and to theside wall whereby said base-section is adapted to rest upon one face ofthe side wall or to extend at right angles from the opposite face ofsaid wall, end sections hinged to the base member and adapted to foldthereon, a flange along one end of the base member equal in heightto thethickness of the end members, a side wall hinged to the flange andadapted to overlap the end members when collapsed, means for binding theside wall and end sections together when the crate is set up, endflanges upon the holding member adapted to overlap the base and sidewall of the crate when collapsed, and securing means upon the flangesfor engaging one of the side walls to hold the crate in a collapsedposition.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOB SMITH.

\Vitnesses:

S. J. DANSKIN, B. Gumnne.

IIO

